A PATHOLOGIST has been found guilty of gross professional misconduct over the case of a Cheshire solicitor wrongfully jailed for the murder of her two children.

The Home Office pathologist, Dr Alan Williams, of Plumley, near Knutsford, was a witness in Sally Clark's trial but was yesterday found guilty of misconduct over tests he carried out on 12-week-old Christopher Clark in 1996 and his eight-week-old brother, Harry, two years later.

The mother, jailed for life in 1999 and cleared of the murders in 2003, said her family would have been spared "agonies" over the last seven years if the failings of Dr Alan Williams had not gone ignored. A hearing of the General Medical Council fitness to practice panel ruled that Dr Williams failed to disclose evidence that could have helped to clear Mrs Clark of the murders.

The 58-year-old, a consultant histopathologist at Macclesfield General Hospital, was banned from undertaking any Home Office pathology work or coroners' cases for the next three years.

The GMC heard that at the 1999 trial he failed to disclose microbiology results of blood samples from his post-mortem on Harry.

Dr Williams was also found to have failed in his duty as an expert witness in relation to the bacteria results, which showed the presence of staphylococcus aureus.

The Court of Appeal quashed Mrs Clark's conviction after hearing Harry could have died suddenly because of the presence of that bacteria.

Dr Williams initially said Christopher died from a lung infection but changed his mind after Harry's death and told the court there was "overwhelming evidence" of a double murder.

In a statement issued with husband Stephen, she said the family was glad the GMC accepted the post-mortems had been "incompetent" and that Dr Williams "failed in his basic duty as an expert witness".

Mr and Mrs Clark said: "It is a matter of great regret that his obvious failings were completely ignored by various public bodies."

The GMC heard Dr Williams took a "slapdash" approach and was "not competent" to conduct an examination of Harry's spinal cord.

Mr and Mrs Clark also criticised Macclesfield Hospital NHS Trust, the Home Office and the first court of appeal for offering their backing to Dr Williams, who is currently not working in his post.

Dr Williams refused to speak to waiting journalists as he left the GMC building in central London.

Paediatrician Professor Sir Roy Meadow, who told the jury at Mrs Clark's trial that the likelihood of two siblings dying of cot deaths was one in 73m, will face the GMC on June 21.